18 Experiments That Crossed Every Line, Ranked By Cruelty

The Monster Study explored whether criticism could affect children’s speech. Researchers at the University of Iowa worked with children at an orphanage, giving some encouragement and others negative comments about their speaking abilities. Some children with normal speech were falsely told they had problems, causing anxiety and withdrawal. The study offered little scientific value and later became an example of the harm caused by researchers who ignored the participants’ emotional well-being.